Jan Freeman

In 1893, Ambrose Bierce declared I am for preserving the ancient, primitive distinction between right and wrong In Write it Right, originally published in 1909, Bierce turned this considerable zeal on the English language The result revealed that the satirical author of The Devil s Dictionary had a keen ear for the vernacular and that he hated it This slim volume ofIn 1893, Ambrose Bierce declared I am for preserving the ancient, primitive distinction between right and wrong In Write it Right, originally published in 1909, Bierce turned this considerable zeal on the English language The result revealed that the satirical author of The Devil s Dictionary had a keen ear for the vernacular and that he hated it This slim volume of his 300 or so reviled words and expressions contains many we use today with no hesitation at all Of electrocution he says, To one having even an elementary knowledge of Latin grammar this word is no less than disgusting, and the thing meant by it is felt to be altogether too good for the word s inventor Jan Freeman, author of the weekly column The Word for the Boston Globe, annotates Bierce s rulings with style, humor, and in depth research, revealing what Bierce got right and what he didn t and giving insight into how the language has changed over the past century Write it Right, with its incisive wit and insight into the history of American English, is the perfect gift for word curmudgeons everywhere.

Recent Comments "Ambrose Bierce's Write It Right"

A clear concise book that achieves what it promisses. It is also comic in its pretentiousness. I feel if it wasn't neant to be comic, it might be offensive.I enjoyed reading it and it encouraged me to do further reading in the subject.I recommend it.

For the first time this book made think if language should be a part of social sciences. I think it should be. Pain of author in incorrect usage words of that era have been accepted and become standard now. Poor old fellow, lucky he passes away before the SMS English is invented. Judging by his tone in through out the book, If he were alive now, I am sure he would roam around with a knife to stab people who type "cum" for " come " and 'k' for "okey"